Rut
by LoveBugOC
Summary: In which Hermione Granger finds herself in the middle of a rut. Bored and lonely, Hermione decides to take her life back, in the most unexpected way possible. And just what does Draco Malfoy have to do with it?
1. Chapter 1

Hello, it's me again! I know I'm in the middle of posting Unsalvageable, and before I continue I'll promise I'll finish it. It's just that I have a whole bunch of stories already written on my computer and I reallyyyyy wanted to post this. It was originally supposed to be a OneShot, but I've decided to put it up in four parts because all together it's over 20,000 words I just thought it would be easier on the eyes this way. It's rated M because of mature subjects including infidelity, (mild) alcohol abuse and some sexual nature.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter world, or the characters. They're just on loan :)

Reviews and Feedback are always welcome!

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><p><em><strong>Rut<strong>_

_In which Hermione Granger finds herself in the middle of a rut after finalizing her divorce from one Ronald Weasley. Bored and lonely, Hermione decides to take her life back, in the most unexpected way possible. And just what does Draco Malfoy have to do with it?_

X

When Hermione Granger was seven years old she'd spent days planning out her entire life. From her wedding day; in the middle of the summer-most likely in late July because it's her favorite month. To her honeymoon; CandyLand-because it's magical and wonderful and who wouldn't want to go to a land made of Candy? Right down to the number and names of her children; two-a boy and a girl so that neither one of them get lonely being an only child, with the names Rosalyn (Rose for short, because it's her favorite flower) and Denis (because she fancies Denis the Menace). She would become a teacher because she loves school and studying and books. And she would grow old with her husband, the love of her life, and live happily-ever-after.  
>Hermione Granger believed in fairytales, and this was her very own.<br>By the time Hermione Granger was thirty-five years old, she'd stopped believing in fairytales. She stopped believing in things like true love and perfection and happily-ever-after's. For on her thirty-fifth birthday, she'd filed for divorce from her husband of sixteen years Ronald Weasley.  
>They'd been on the verge of divorce for years; had separated five months before. They were no longer happy in their marriage and she was no longer happy in her own fairytale.<p>

The end of the war, in which the Light had prevailed and the Dark had succumbed to their own darkness, brought about a world of change in the Wizarding World. It brought about sorrow and grief, but it also brought about celebration. It brought about freedom and peace and happiness. It brought about a world in which Muggleborns and Pureblood could live together without prejudices and statuses. It freed the house elves from their slavery; although many of them remained assistant-like to their masters and mistress', with pay. It brought about love affairs and marriages and babies being reproduced by the hundreds, like the Baby Boom after World War One.  
>And at the age of 18, Hermione's childhood fairytale began to take shape. Ron, who's been her best friend for six years and her unofficial boyfriend for a seventh, proposed just days after the Final Battle. She'd said yes, of course, because what better time to do such a thing as to get married and start family? Neither of them wanted to waste any more time, not after how many times they just barely escaped death. Not after almost losing one another countless times. Four months later they were married; she was officially Hermione Weasley in every way that counted. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived Twice, had also wasted no time in proposing to his girlfriend Ginny Weasley and marrying her just a month later.<br>By the following year Hermione found herself working for the Ministry as an Auror, alongside Harry, Ron and Draco Malfoy. (It wasn't a teaching job, but she enjoyed it well enough).Yes-Draco Malfoy had become an Auror. About a month before the Final Battle he'd showed up at number 12 Grimmauld place pale, thin and extremely exhausted. He said that he was tired of fighting, tired of killing innocent people. He said that he would give them everything they needed to know in order to take down the Dark Lord once and for all, in exchange for the safety and protection of his family; although Lucius had died just a few months later in the Final Battle. After the war, the remaining Malfoys had played quite a large role in helping rebuild the Wizarding World. Narcissa had lent her services to the newest Head Master at Hogwarts-Professor McGonogall-to help rebuild the school, while also lending plenty of galleons to the Ministry. Draco had begun the journey of righting all of his father's past sins, bearing the weight of the Malfoy name on his shoulders, before signing up for the newest session of Auror training.  
>When she was 24 she gave birth to hers and Ron's first child-a girl. It was probably the second best day of her life, seeing their creation for the first time since finding out they'd been successful nine months before. She had a bit of red hair on her head like her father and brown eyes like her mother, a perfect mixture of both of her parents. Ron was so ecstatic at the prospect of their bundle of joy having ten toes and ten fingers and a perfect little button nose that he didn't even care what her name was. And the name Rose sounded far too perfect to pass up. Rosalyn Weasley.<br>Two years later, she gave birth to their second child-a son. Unlike Rose, he had brown hair like his mother and blue eyes like his father. Ron had been so adamant about naming him Hugo from the moment they found out the gender months before, that Hermione had complied. Besides, he was far too beautiful to argue about anyway.  
>Something happened after Hugo's sixth birthday. She isn't sure what, whether the world shifted or whether she just shifted, but something changed between them. They started to argue constantly, over everything and anything. And the more they argued, the further they drifted apart. It was like she didn't recognize the man she married; worse though, she didn't recognize herself. She didn't recognize the woman that stared back at her in the mirror. But still, she tried. She tried to convince herself she was happy, she tried to make her husband happy. She tried really, really hard.<br>It only made her more miserable, made her family more miserable.  
>Three years later, at the age of 35 and just months after Rose went off to Hogwarts, she filed for divorce. She would've filed sooner, had it not been for the fact that she wanted her daughter to start her first school year off on a happy, good note.<br>Now, two years later at the age of 37, Hermione Granger finds herself divorced. She finds it sort of ironic that her first day as a newly single woman in approximately nineteen years, is the first day of school-more importantly, the first day of Hugo's first year.  
>Needless to say, things around the Granger flat-the one she purchased when they separated-are in a state of disarray. A thirteen year old Rose is running around in a panic because she can't find anything to wear, despite having a wardrobe full of clothes-here, and back at the house. And Hugo, who is perfectly fine wearing his favorite Superman t-shirt and a pair of trousers, is running around in a panic that he doesn't have everything he needs.<br>"Hugo, sweetie listen to me okay?" Hermione says calmly, bending down to look her son in the face. "I checked everything, it's fine. And daddy's gonna bring your owl," she reminds the little boy.  
>"But-"<br>"Everything is under control, okay? Now go brush your teeth."  
>Hugo groans, before running down to the hall to the bathroom.<br>"Rose! We're gonna be late, hurry up!" Hermione calls down the hall to her daughters bedroom.

"Ughhhhh! I don't have anything to wear!" the over-dramatic teenager screeches in frustration.  
>"You've got a wardrobe full of things to wear Rose. And besides, you're just gonna have to change into your school robes in a few hours anyway-"<br>"So? I can't go looking like a bum, mum. First impressions are everything," the redhead says in that 'duh' sort of tone she likes to use around her mother.  
>"First impressions? Rose you've gone to school with most of these kids for two years already-"<br>"So?"  
>Hermione sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes tightly. "So hurry up, or we'll leave without you."<br>"You are _so_ unfair!"  
>The young red head stomps her foot dramatically before disappearing back into her room. Ever since announcing to her kids that their parents weren't going to be together anymore, Rose has been acting out-sometimes lashing out. Mostly at her. Hugo on the other hand, seems fine.<br>Hermione sighs, grabbing her bag off of the couch and her cloak off of the hook at the front door. "Life's unfair."

X

Approximately two hours later, after seeing both Rose and Hugo off along with Ron (although they hardly talk at all) and Harry and Ginny who are seeing their own children off, Hermione walks into the Auror Headquarters. She can feel everyone's gazes on her, watching her like they're waiting for her to fall apart. Her divorce has been no secret, in fact it's been the most exciting thing that's happened in the Wizarding World in years. The Daily Prophet took it upon themselves to follow every move either one of them made and sharing it all with the world. Needless to say, she's hardly had any privacy in the last two years. And now that it's all over, she isn't sure that privacy is ever going to come back.  
>Still, she walks down the hall to her office with her head held high and her shoulders squares; the vision of a single, confident woman. The second she closes the door to her office however, she slumps against the piece of wood separating her from colleagues and closes her eyes as she runs a hand through her hair. Because behind closed door she doesn't have the confidence she portrays in public. In fact she's rather insecure, for an intelligent woman of thirty-seven who fought in a war and <em>won<em>. She isn't sure who she is anymore and it's rather frightening.  
>As if on cue, the second she sits down at her desk and rests her coffee cup on the coaster, somebody knocks on her door. Sighing softly, she leans back in her chair, crosses her right leg over her left and plasters a smile on her face. "Come in!"<br>The door opens to reveal a woman with long, fiery red hair and blue eyes, wearing a fancy dress suit. Ginny; her ex-sister-in-law and current best girl friend. The redhead shuffles inside quickly before shutting the door. "I'm aware that I just saw you, but Harry left his lunch at home and I had time before going to the office so I decided to just drop it off. And I also wanted to check up on you."  
>She smiles weakly, and Hermione can't help but genuinely smile back. The divorce had taken two years to finalize, but both families had remained surprisingly neutral.<br>"I'm fine, Ginny," the brunette insists.  
>"You're sure?"<br>"Positive."  
>"And you're sure you'll be able to keep working with him?" Ginny wonders. She doesn't have to specify who 'him' is, for Hermione to catch on.<br>The truth is, Hermione's been contemplating quitting the Auror's office for quite some time. She just hasn't had the guts or the means to do so. "I've been fine this far," she points out, smiling confidently.  
>"Yeah but now it's all so...real, you know?"<br>"Yeah. Look, I'll be fine, really. Ron and I...we can get along when need be, so don't worry about me."  
>", if you're sure.. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me," Ginny tells her softly, not wanting to lose contact with her friend.<br>"I won't," Hermione promises.  
>Ginny nods, and turns towards the door to leave and find her husband.<br>"Ginny?"  
>"Yes?"<br>"Thank you, for all of your support. I couldn't ask for a better girl friend."  
>Ginny just smiles and winks at her best friend, before disappearing into the hall, leaving the door open behind her.<br>Hermione can feel a pair of eyes burning into her and she tries desperately to ignore it. It's different from all of the other gazes, for this one isn't full of pity and wariness. It's full of something else she can't quite describe. Against her better judgement she looks up from her desk and her gaze meets that of molten silver, hiding behind blonde bangs but not invisible.

X

She carries about the rest of the week in a sort of daze, like she's only going through the motions. She wakes up in the morning, has breakfast, goes to work, (avoids him the best she can, which is working surprisingly well), comes home, and then she does it all over again the next day. Every night she finds herself missing her children more and more; more than she ever had before when Rose had been at school. She feels twice as lonely and pathetic and bored than she used to. When, exactly, did her life get so boring?  
>It's nearing 3 o'clock on Friday afternoon, and she can't wait until the big hand reaches the twelve on the grandfather clock in her office and she can go home and stay home for the next two days before the monotonous routine kicks back up on Monday. She's on her way to Kingsleys office to give Gina report he had asked for early that afternoon when she bumps into Ron. They look at each other awkwardly before he decides to make a rather sad attempt at small talk. She commends him for trying though, even as she starts to wonder how two people can go from being so in love to being complete strangers. She bids him a quick goodbye and I'll-see-you-around before ducking quickly into Kingsley's office.<br>Ten minutes later she's on her way back to her own office when she collides with something hard and solid, and she's fairly certain that whatever it is doesn't belong there. She's right. Her eyes widen for a moment as she looks up into the face of one Draco Malfoy. She looks at him and he looks back. He give her _that _look. She's not quite sure how to read it, so she doesn't know what it means or what it says, but it's sort of familiar; like she's seen it before.  
>She clears her throat, mutters a soft but clear 'Malfoy' to which he responds with an equally soft 'Granger' before they both go their separate ways.<p>

X

Another week of monotonous routines and going through the motions passes. It's the same thing every day and quite frankly she's bored. Has she always been this boring? Has this always been her life, and she's only just noticing now that she's utterly alone? When did it get to be like this? And why?  
>She doesn't have an answer to any of those questions, no matter how often she asks herself.<br>It's nearing 7 o'clock on Friday evening; she's been working for the last ten hours straight. She's started to bury herself in her work-a workaholic is what Harry calls her. In her defense though, it's not that she _want_* to work all the time, it's just that she has nothing better to do. She doesn't tell him that though because she knows that he'll just invite her over any way, and the chances of running into her ex-husband at their best friend's house is extremely high. It's not that she doesn't like him or can't tolerate him, it's just that things are still quite tense and awkward between them, and she'd rather not be reminded of that.  
>She yawns, leaning back in her chair lazily as she glances up at her grandfather clock. 6:57. A knock on her open door pulls her out of her thoughts and she looks up to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the doorframe casually. "Hey. You're still here," she notices, somewhat surprised.<br>"So are you," he points out.  
>"I was just leaving."<br>He smirks, looking at her position behind her desk up and down. "I can see that. So was I."  
>"What kept you?" she asks curiously.<br>"Paper work, loads of it. You?"  
>"Same." It's a lie, she'd finished her paper work a longtime ago. She just hadn't wanted to go home to empty flat just yet.<br>"I was gonna go grab a bite to eat, and maybe a drink. Care to join me?" he offers casually.  
>She looks skeptically at him. They may work together, sure, and give each other advice every once in a while. And every now and then they'll sit at the same lunch table down stairs, but their relationship had never moved past that. Neither of them had given it a chance to, not once in nineteen years.<br>He must notice the skeptical look because he rolls his eyes.  
>"You don't have to, it was just an invitation from colleague to another. If you have something you'd rather be doing-"<br>"I don't, actually," she admits sheepishly. "I don't do a whole lot...anymore. But I was just gonna go home."  
>He nods-and is it just her or does a he look a little bit disappointed? "Well, if you change your mind I'll be at the Hogshead." He turn to leave then, for the elevators.<p>

She watches him as he waits, and a sudden urge to go with him washes over her. She hasn't had proper human communication in weeks. She hasn't been out in public or otherwise with another human being in just as long. Perhaps this could be a good thing. Perhaps this could be just what she needs. Jumping out of her chair and grabbing her purse and cloak off of the hanger behind her, she bolts out of her office and towards the elevators. "Malfoy, wait!"  
>He smirks, turning to face her. "Come to join me?"<br>"Yes," she confirms.  
>A hint of a smile plays on his lips even though he turns his gaze on the elevator doors. "What made you change your mind?"<br>"I'm...extremely hungry," she lies, again.  
>"Hungry, right.. So it has nothing to do with being lonely?"<br>A blush creeps up onto her cheeks. "Maybe a little."

Dinner and a few drinks with an old enemy is all it takes for her to feel a little more human and a little less lonely.

X

Her routine changes slightly over the next few weeks. She's spending a little less time at the office thanks to Ginny's constant worrisome behavior and Draco's insistence that she get out more. They've taken to having lunch together in Diagon Ally every other day, and they've gone out for dinner once or twice due to the fact that she has a habit of forgetting to eat lunch if he doesn't pull her along with him.  
>This is one of those days.<br>The knock at the door startles her even though she knows who it is, and even though she should've known to expect it. They hadn't had lunch that day and thus, it'd completely slipped her mind. Only now, looking up at the tall blonde haired man who saunters into her office like he does every day, does she realize just how hungry she is. Her stomach growls loudly and she can tell by the look on his face that he hears it.  
>"What am I gonna do with you Granger, make a lunch for you every day?" he teases, although his tone holds a bit seriousness to it.<br>She looks down at the papers strewn about her desk sheepishly. "I forgot…"  
>"You always forget, unless I'm the one who mentions it. Now c'mon, let's go get something to eat."<br>"In a minute-"  
>"Now, Granger. Your work will still be here tomorrow, you need to eat," he says sternly.<br>She looks up at him, smirking one that would rival his own. "If I didn't know any better Malfoy, I might think that you care."  
>"Nonsense, I just can't have you dying on me from lack of food. Potter would have my head."<br>"Right."  
>"Chinese of Mexican?"<br>"Chinese."  
>With a nod of his head, he moves to the side and lets her pass ahead of him. They've developed their own sort of routine, sort of like friends. Friends without the meaningful conversations and common ground that it.<p>

She feels alive for the first time in a really long time. She's laughing. She's smiling. For the first time she feels something other than utterly lonely...something other than a boring, single mother. And with Draco Malfoy, of all people. She's tipsy and giggly and she likes it. She likes it a lot.  
>Nursing her fifth cocktail of the night in their favourite Chinese Restaurant, just as the two of them lapse into a comfortable silence, she finds herself eyeing him. He takes a sip of his forth fire whiskey of the night, before setting the glass on the table as he stares into the dark liquid. "You know Malfoy, I haven't had this much fun in...well, forever."<br>He looks up at her, somewhat surprised, before that familiar smirk settles on his lips. Is it just her, or does that sort of make him look...hotter? "Seriously?"  
>"Seriously," she slurs, nodding her head. "I mean, aside from the time I spend with my kids...when I have them."<br>"Are you sure you want to admit that out loud, that you're having a good time with a Malfoy?" he teases, the alcohol in him showing it's colours.  
>"Yes." She's confident in her answer, and that seems to surprise him more than anything. Their eyes lock for a few beats, in which they stare at each other in an almost…humbling sort of way.<br>"You're serious, aren't you?" he realizes.  
>"Sadly, yes.."<br>"So I was right all along wasn't I? You never did know how to have fun." There's a hint of teasing in his voice again, and his eyes are flickering with something along the lines of...amusement.  
>"It's not that I didn't know how, I just...didn't have time," she admits, recalling the things she may or may not have missed out on in her school years. "If I wasn't fighting off evil wizards, I was studying and if <em>I<em> wasn't studying I was running around after Harry and Ronald to make _them_ study.  
>"And after the war?"<br>"I married Ron. Then I finished school. And then I started working, and had children and-"  
>"Before you even realized it, you're life had flashed you by," he finishes, taking a sip of his drink.<br>She blinks, taken aback. "Sort of, yeah."  
>"Yeah…I know what you mean," he mutters, looking away from her.<br>"C'mon Malfoy, you had loads of fun in school."  
>"Well, yeah, but once I...took the mark, 'fun' was pretty much out of the picture. And then afterwards, I was so busy picking up the pieces of my family and, righting the wrongs of my father so that one could be proud of the Malfoy family name, I didn't have time for fun. And, like you, before I knew it I was married and Scorpius was on the way.<br>"Hmm..." she trails off, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Looks like we have more in common than one might think."  
>"Looks like…"<br>They fall into another, slightly more awkward silence, with both of them staring into their empty glasses. She looks up at him for brief moment, through her eyelashes, before looking back down. They've talked before, but never anything about their personal lives...never anything so deep. And it's not even that deep.  
>"What do you say we get out of here?" he suggests suddenly, his eyes lighting up with a bright idea. "There's a little pub down the street, we can have a few more drinks, play pool...have <em>fun<em>."  
>She snorts loudly. "You, Draco Malfoy, play pool?"<br>"Occasionally, sure," he shrugs.  
>She glances at the watch on her left wrist, almost gasping at the time. "I dunno Malfoy, it's going on 9 o'clock. Besides, you should probably go home to your wife."<br>"My wife is out with her lady friends, discussing Merlin knows what, that I am not-and never will be-interested in. Besides, it's like you've said...this is the most fun I've had in quite some time. Why ruin it so early?" His eyes flicker mischievously as he leans forward with his elbows on the table. She looks at him weirdly, her eye brows raised as she considers him carefully, as well as his offer. Logically speaking, she _should_ say no. (But going home to an empty flat doesn't sound very appealing). Logically speaking, she shouldn't even be _here_, with Malfoy, and enjoying his company. (But he can be quite an amusing person when he doesn't have his guard up all the time). Logically speaking she should just go home and forget about the whole thing because hanging out with Malfoy could be very, very hazardous to her health.  
>So, therefore her answer is-<br>"Yeah, sure, why not," she responds casually.  
>That was most definately not supposed to be the answer. Her answer was supposed to be a solid no. And yet it seems as though her subconscious has other plans. Perhaps her subconscious is right then, perhaps she needs to throw caution to wind and just let herself have fun.<br>Perhaps-

-this was a very, very good idea!  
>"I thought you said you played pool!" A moderately drunk Hermione Granger giggles as he misses his forth shot in a row.<p>

He rolls his eyes, standing up straight with his right hand wrapped around the top of the pool stick and his left resting on his hip. He too, is quite drunk. It's just a little bit less obvious. "I said I _played_, Granger. I didn't say I played _well_. "  
>"You don't play well at all."<br>He drops his mouth open in mock shock and places his left hand over his chest where his heart is. "No need to get mean, Granger," he pouts playfully.  
>"Sorry, I'm sorry." She covers her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. But the corners of her mouth curl into a smile she can't contain and the look on his face pulls the laughter out of her. He rolls his eyes playing, stepping away from the table.<br>"It's your turn Granger, have at it."  
>She eyes the table, once the laughter dies, and realizes that the only ball left for her to sink is the 8 ball. She finds her place and her angle easily, bending down to take her shot. Without any hesitation she shoots and the little black ball is sunk with ease. She lets out a victorious squeal as she throws her arms into the air and tosses the blonde beside her an innocent little smile. "And that, my friend, is how you play pool."<br>"Yeah well you've had years of practice. I haven't."  
>"You're just bitter because you lost." She sticks her tongue out at him as she places her pool stick on top of the table. He follows suite, before grabbing her jacket and helping her into it.<br>"I'll let you in a little secret Malfoy, since we're friends and all-"  
>"We're friends?"<br>She looks thoughtful again, tilting her chin up and squinting her eyes. "Yes," she decides finally.  
>There isn't even a hint of hesitation in her voice, and he finds himself smiling at her confidence. Suddenly she's leaning forward, her lips lingering at his ear and her left hand resting on his shoulder. "I'm much better when I'm drunk."<p>

X

The following Friday finds both of them back in the same bar, at the same pool table and under the influence of the same amount of alcohol. The only difference is that Draco seems to have come a long way from the week previous. So far, in fact, that they're basically tied. She watches with bated breath as he lines up his last shot that would leave them officially tied. He makes it, earning a loud cheer from the crowd that has since gathered to watch their rather intense game.  
>"I thought you said last week that you didn't play well!"<br>He grins at her, looking up through his bangs as he leans down for a shot at the 8 ball. He misses, shrugs, and then slides over to stand beside her as she contemplates the best angle for her to take. "Not everything is as it appears Granger."  
>Her mouth drops open as she turns to look at him. "You lied to me.. Did you let me win too?"<br>His eyes flicker mischievously and his lips curl into his trademark smirk as he crosses his arms over his chest.  
>"Well then I <em>refuse<em> to let you win this round," she mutters confidently.  
>Since their match last week, things between them have been quite...competitive. They've always been the competitive type, having always tried to out-do one another in school and such, but this is more of a playful, healthy competitiveness. The kind that keeps one on their toes. The kind that Hermione longs for, for it makes her feel...superior. She no longer finds herself moping around her flat day in and day out; she's far too busy competing with Malfoy for that to happen.<br>She concentrates hard on making her shot, which she ultimately misses. Groaning out loud, she glares at Draco as he steps into place with ease and eyes the table for a line up. A satisfied smirk settles into place as he bends down, takes the shot, and makes it. The entire bar erupts into cheers and laughter and celebration. Complete strangers are clapping him on the back like he's won the Quidditch Cup, while others are consoling her as though her dog just died-or because her divorce was just finalized. Who would've thought that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy would be bonding over something like...pool-or anything really.  
>She catches his gaze from across the pool table as he maneuvers his way through the crowd towards her. He stops in front her, extending his hand for her to shake, which she accepts with a small smile and a playful roll of her eyes.<br>"Nice match."  
>"You too. Liar."<br>Electricity-what feels like it anyway-shoots through her arm and she drops his hand. They continue to stare at one another, and only then does she realize how close she is to him. Her mind begins to spin in all sorts of different directions-and as if on cue a waitress approaches them both, with a fruity cocktail in one hand and a beer bottle in the other. She leans in close to Draco's ear and Hermione feels a sort of tight feeling in her chest-  
>"It's on the house, for you and your girlfriend," the waitress says.<br>Upon hearing the word 'girlfriend' Hermione reels back before stepping forward, her attention solely put on the young college student in question.  
>"We're not-"<br>"Thank you, very much," Draco replies quickly, cutting her off.  
>Before Hermione can get another word in edgewise he's pulling her away from the crowd and into a more secluded-but not empty-corner of the bar. Her back hits the wall softly and she stumbles to stay on her feet, grabbing onto it for stability. She looks at him in confusion as he hands her her glass-when did he even grab that?<br>"Why did you do that?"  
>"Do what?"<br>"Stop me from telling her I wasn't your girlfriend," she clarifies awkwardly.  
>"Because," he replies shortly, looking away.<br>"Because?"  
>He sighs, shrugging his shoulders. "Because does it really matter? Either she was fishing for a reaction so she would know whether or not she had a chance with me, or she just doesn't care at all. Either way, it doesn't matter."<br>They're close again-too close-as he had to lean forward for her to hear him. She can smell his cologne, see the light blonde stubble covering his jaw like a blanket and she's having weird thoughts about running her fingers over the prickly hairs. (Ron never had stubble). She can feel his breath on her face, hot and sticky, and she finds herself getting hotter and stickier.  
>She clears her throat, realizing that she hasn't yet answered him. "I suppose you're right, but-"<br>She's thrust into silence and someone bumps into him which catapults him into her. She's already standing firmly against the wall so she doesn't move, she only catches his fall with her entire body. Sucking on her breath, as his body rests flush against hers, with his left forearm resting on the wall beside her head (where he had attempted to catch his fall), she looks up into his face. The mischievous look in his eyes is gone along with that familiar smirk on his lips. It's now replaced with something she doesn't even recognize. All of a sudden his face is getting closer and closer and her gaze falls to his lips despite the voice in her head telling her to pull herself together.

Minutes later they're stumbling through her flat. His lips are on hers,_ hotwetexperiencedanddelicious_; and his hands are everywhere at once,_ hairneckbreastsbum_. She rakes her fingers through his hair, her fingernails scratching his scalp slightly, eliciting a moan from his lips which vibrate against hers as he pushes her into the wall. He presses his body against hers as he lifts her up ease and wraps her legs around his waist to keep her there. She locks her ankles just above his bum as he rips his lips away from hers and leaves a trail of open mouthed kisses down her neck and across her collar bones, biting down on the skin. She tosses her head back, moaning in pleasure as he sucks on her pulse point.  
>"B-edroom…" she stutters. Her voice comes out breathy and husky. She closes her eyes as he hums against her throat and lowers her back onto her feet.<br>"Lead the way."


	2. Chapter 2

Part Two

Warning: infidelity, sexual situations, mild fluff, awkward moments and bad language ensue.

* * *

><p>She wakes up the next morning with a splitting headache and no recollection of where she is. Upon opening her eyes and inspecting her surroundings she comes to conclusion that she is, in fact, home. And in her bed, which is a good sign. She sits up, burying her face in her hands and groaning in pain at the sudden motion. She hears another groan, one that does not come from her and her eyes widen in fear. <em>Whatdidshedo<em>? Turning her face a little bit to the left, she stares in shock at the naked body lying on his stomach next to her with his face buried into the pillow. A body with blonde hair-and a very muscular, toned back-and there's only one person she knows with hair like that. She scrambles away from his warm body, and forgetting how small the bed can be with another person in it, she falls off the edge in a mess of flying limbs, with a surprised and mildly terrified squeal along with a thud as she hits the floorboards beneath her. That seems to wake the body up because the next thing she hears is another groan that doesn't belong to her and then a ruffling of sheets. She reaches for the sheet that isn't wrapped around the bottom half of his body and yanks it off the bed while simultaneously wrapping it around her own body. She watches with bated breath as he cranes his head sideways to look at her. He's smirking..  
>The git is smirking at her! How dare he!<br>He rubs his left hand over his face, rubbing his eyes to wake them up, and runs his right hand through his hair. She has half a mind to hit the blasted smirk right off his face, and the other half to snog him senseless. She also has half a mind to scream and panic like one of those hopeless women in those romantic-comedy movies when they realize their mistake. But hopeless or not, she decides against it and instead takes a deep breath, determined to handle it like a rational adult.  
>However irrational this situation seems.<br>"Please tell me we didn't-"  
>"I think we did Granger," he responds, not even bothering to entertain her idea.<br>She watches him as he stretches across her bed like he owns the bloody thing; he looks far too comfortable amongst her cream colored sheets. She pushes down the urge to hit him and snog him at the same time-again. "Perhaps we didn't. Maybe we just…"  
>"Just what? Fell asleep naked? I mean, I'm assuming you're naked too."<br>She nods, casting her gaze towards the floor as a rush of warmth gathers in her cheeks. "This is bad. This is really, really bad Malfoy," she groans. When she looks back up, he's adjusting the waistband of his boxers around his hips. She can't help but stare at the way the muscles in his arms and back clench and unclench as he does so. That's when she notices the nail marks along the tops of his shoulders and her stomach turns. She feels sick. _Sicksicksick_.  
>She groans, sitting on the edge of the back with her back to him. How is she meant to continue to look at him? How is she meant to ever look at him again? He's a married man, and she's...well, it seems that she's just one giant mess. "What are we gonna do?" she whispers.<br>"We pretend like it never happened," he replies simply. "I go home and tell my 'lovely' wife that I fell asleep at the office as I working late, and you…well, you don't really need an excuse."  
>"Thanks for the reminder," she mutters.<br>"I didn't mean it like that, I just mean...you don't have anything to worry about. You should count yourself lucky-"  
>"Lucky?" she screeches, pushing herself rather violently to her feet before spinning on him wildly. "You think I'm lucky? Why, because I'm divorced? Because I let my family fall apart? Because I don't even know who I am anymore, or who I've been? Because my kids resent me for breaking their fathers heart? Because I slept with a married man who just happens to be the first man I've slept with in years?"<br>She trails off, breathing heavily as a tear trickles down her cheek. She doesn't even bother to wipe it away, because he's already seen her at her worst. "I'm not lucky, Malfoy. I'm pathetic," she whispers, looking (and feeling) utterly defeated.  
>"You're not pathetic," he assures her from across the room.<br>"Oh? Then what am I oh-wise-one? Please, enlighten me," she snaps sarcastically.  
>"You're confused. You're a woman who isn't even aware of her self-worth."<br>She rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's your excuse then?"  
>He shrugs. "I'm unhappy."<br>Neither one of them say anything more as he continues to get dressed, before leaving her alone with her thoughts.

X

One week later she finds herself in a similar situation. That is, lying naked and confused amongst the comfort of her very own bed. The differences, this time, are that he's still there and neither one of them are drunk-or had been drunk. He's lying on the bed with his left arm behind his head and his right thrown over his torso. He looks just as satisfied as she feels, except that she's a little more insecure about the whole thing.  
>It's their second rendezvous. Work today had been rather stressful on both of them and this...had somehow turned into the result.<br>Turning to look at him and laying on her side, she folds her left arm under her head and curls her right against her chest. "Malfoy?" she whispers.  
>He hums in response.<br>"What did you mean before, when you said you were unhappy?" she wonders curiously.  
>He looks at her and brown meets grey. He looks confused and curious and...conflicted.<br>"Last week, you said-"  
>He shakes his head, "yeah, no, I know."<br>"What did you mean?" she asks again.  
>"You're unhappy right? Or you were, when you filed for divorce... It's like that," he admits.<br>"Oh…"  
>"I never got a say...as to who I would marry. I never got a chance to fall in love, I never got a chance to court a woman and make her mine.. I just...after the war it was up to me to make the Malfoy name bigger and better than it was before. And it was up to my mother to decide who I would marry to help me. The Greengrass's had been more or less neutral during the war, so she knew their reputation would help boost ours," he says absentmindedly, unsure as to why he's telling her this in the first place.<br>"But you love her, don't you?"  
>"Yeah, I guess. I love my son more than anything. I love Astoria because she's his mother, and I love her as a person. But I'm not in love with her. I never have been."<br>She leans back with her back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling with her arms crossed over chest. Perhaps they really do have more in common than originally thought. "Do you ever wonder what your life would be like, if you _had_ married a woman you were in love with?"  
>"Sometimes."<br>"And?"  
>He sighs, staring up at the ceiling. "And then I stop. It's no use to dwell on something you can't change."<br>"Of course you can change it. You can get a divorce-"  
>He smirks sardonically. "And how's that working for <em>you<em>, Granger?"  
>She blinks. He's right, really... He's really right. She can see him looking at her out of the corner of her eye but she's too afraid to actually look back.<br>"Divorce isn't an option, especially with a pureblood marriage such as mine anyway."  
>Divorce is frowned upon in the Wizarding world, which is probably why hers and Ron's was so popular. She has no choice but to agree with him.<br>"Do you?" he asks suddenly.  
>"Do I what?"<br>"Ever wonder?"  
>"Sometimes. I mean...I love Ron, I did. It's just that after the war we were both in such a rush to get married and start a family, and so we did. Only now have I realized that as much as I loved him-as a best friend and a life partner-I wasn't <em>in<em> love with him," she admits, her voice soft. And sad. So sad. She sees him nod beside her, turning his attention towards the ceiling as well. "I think...as women, a lot of us are in such a rush to grow up and fall in love and live happily ever after that we fall for the first man to show a little bit of interest.  
>"Men too, Granger. Men too."<p>

X

He calls it an arrangement.  
>She isn't sure what to call it.<br>All she knows is that when she's with him she feels...alive. She doesn't feel as though she's suffocating or drowning. She doesn't feel like she's just walking around aimlessly.  
>When she's with him, she feels more alive than she has in a really long time.<br>Nobody knows, of course. Mostly because he's still married. But she tries her best to ignore that. She ignores the silver band wrapped around his ring finger on his left hand. She ignores the fact that she knows that when he leaves after a wicked shag in her otherwise empty flat that he's going back to his wife and son-his _family_. She ignores the fact that while his family is still somewhat intact, hers lies in ruins around her feet.  
>Her ignorance is the only way she can make it through the day.<p>

X

Christmas Day comes all too quickly. After spending Christmas Eve with her parents and her children-in which Rose pretty much ignored her-Hermione spent the better time of the night tossing and turning, dreading Christmas Day. It's the first Christmas she'll spend with her ex-husband and his family as a divorcee. They arrive extra early so that Rose and Hugo can spend quality time with their cousins. Hermione spends most of the morning avoiding Ronald and talking and helping Molly in kitchen while Harry, Ron, Ginny, George, Bill and Charlie played Quidditch in the yard. She's always thankful that Molly and the rest of the Weasley's still think of her as a part of family, however awkward it still is to be around them.  
>She's in the middle of mixing the stuffing for the turkey when she hears Molly's gasp of excitement. She follows the woman's axe out the kitchen window to where three figures are getting closer and closer to the house-two with white blonde hair and one with a darker shade of brown. Her throat closes and her breath gets caught in her lungs. It couldn't be. No way. It's not possible-<br>"Oh Rosie dear! Your friend is here!" Molly exclaims.  
>Roses voice can be heard in the kitchen like an echo from somewhere else in the house as she runs towards the front door. "Scorpius!"<br>The rest is a blur to Hermione because her brain stops functioning. Scorpius. Scoripus Malfoy, _Scorpius_. Draco Malfoy. Astoria Malfoy. Introductions are offered around the house from Rose herself, despite the fact that introductions are unnecessary. When the introductions reach her, she's pretty sure she looks like she's a lunatic as she shakes the young Malfoy's hand and then his mothers. Draco stops in front of her then, smirking as he offers her his hand. She takes it shakily, and at the same time that an electric current shoots through her veins, she gets light-headed and dizzy. Excusing herself quickly, she practically throws herself onto the front porch, gripping the wooden fence to keep her knees from giving way. How is she meant to do this? How she meant to be in the same room with her family and her...lover..? How is she meant to look anybody in the eye know, much less _his_ wife? Or her children? Or _him_?  
>The sound of the door opening pulls her out of her thoughts and she looks behind her to find Ron standing there, his hands shoved into his pockets while he sports one of Molly's famous knitted sweaters. She turns away from him, staring over the bright horizon at the snowflakes fluttering down from the sky.<br>"Rose sent me a letter last week asking me if Scorpius and his family could come over for Christmas dinner.," he informs her.  
>"And you didn't think to tell me that?" she snaps.<br>He shrugs. "I didn't think it would matter."  
>"Of course it matters."<br>"Why would it? Things have changed over the years Hermione-"  
>"You don't think I know that? I know that things have changed Ronald. You just...you should've told me, I have a right to know," she murmurs.<br>"I'm sorry."  
>"Besides, I didn't even know that she was friends with Scorpius."<br>Ron snorts. "She's more than just friends with him."  
>"What?" Her eyes nearly pop out of her head. "What do you mean?"<br>"She's got a pretty big fancy for the brat."  
>"S-she told you that?"<br>"Yeah, last month. Why?"  
>"No reason," the brunette lies, turning away from her ex-husband.<br>"Okay.. Well, it's cold, so we should get back inside."

A couple hours later, after everyone has opened their presents and placed them back under the tree in sections, Hermione finds herself needing to be alone quite desperately. She slips upstairs, seemingly unnoticed and hides in Ginny's room, looking out the window as the children run around the yard throwing snowballs and making snowmen. She feels extremely uncomfortable and out of place down there, with her own damn family. She feels even more uncomfortable having to share a room with Draco and his _family_.  
>For the second time that day, the door opens and closes behind her. This time she doesn't even bother to turn around. "Go away Ronald."<br>But the voice who responds is smoother and velvetier than her ex-husbands. "It's me."  
>She spins around, her gaze colliding immediately with his. He stares back at her, inching dangerously closer with each breath she takes. "You shouldn't be up here," she whispers.<br>He ignores her. "Why are you hiding?"  
>"I'm not hiding."<br>"Yes you are."  
>He's right in front of her now, close enough to kiss; close enough to push away. She clears her throat and turns back around to look out the window.<br>"Do you have any idea how hard it is to feel out of place within your own family? To have your child blatantly ignore you because she hates you-"  
>"She doesn't hate you."<br>"You haven't seen the way she looks at me-like I'm everything that's wrong with the world," she mutters sadly.  
>"She's a teenager Granger, she's just being dramatic."<br>"Is she though? I mean, she's right in a way. It's my fault-"  
>"It's not your fault. Your family fell apart, it happens. She just needs somebody to blame and you're the easiest target, that's all," he assures her.<br>"What are you even doing here?" she asks softly.  
>"Rose invited Scorpius, who desperately wanted to come. Between you and me, I'm fairly certain he's taken a fancy to her," he chuckles.<br>"Between Ron and Rose, so has she," she mumbles bitterly.  
>"Come again?" he asks, looking at her in confusion.<br>"She told Ron that she fancies Scorpius. Not me, no, Ron."  
>"And you're jealous?" he guesses.<br>"Of course I am! I'm her mother, she should be talking to _me_ about boys and crushes and relationships, not her father. She's always been a daddy's girl, but still…"  
>"Perhaps she just finds it easier to talk to him," he suggests.<br>"Or perhaps she just hates me."  
>"You're her mother, Hermione, she couldn't hate you even if she tried." His hands are on her hips now, slipping slowly underneath the hem of her t-shirt and his lips are dangerously close to her ear, nipping her earlobe. "C'mon Granger, cheer up. It's Christmas."<br>"That's easy for you to say, your family is still intact," she whispers.  
>"So is yours...just in a different manner." He sucks her earlobe into his mouth, nibbling on it softly before leaving a trail of kisses along the hollow of her neck and across her shoulders.<br>"Malfoy, stop.. Draco-"  
>"Hmm?"<br>"Someone could walk in-"  
>"I locked the door. And I put up a silencing charm."<br>He turns her around, pushing her up against the wall next to the window. Before she can even respond he kisses her, pushing his left hand into her hair and slipping his right underneath her shirt. His fingers graze her lace bra, pinching her nipple through the material and eliciting a moan from her throat. She pulls back, throwing her head back giving him access to her neck, which he takes. He licks and sucks and nips at her skin as she thrusts her hips out to meet his, pushing against his growing arousal. He growls, pushing himself harder against her and pushing her harder into the wall. She winces, although it's a good kind of pain.  
>"We-we shouldn't be doing this," she breathes.<br>"I've wanted to do this since I saw you this morning, and I know you have too."  
>Within seconds her skirt is bunched around her hips and her knickers are pushed to the side, while his trousers and boxer shorts are in a puddle around his feet and he enters her without a second thought before pounding away furiously. Within minutes she screams her release (and thank Merlin he thought to place a silencing charm on the room) and seconds later he grunts his own inside her.<br>Moments later, after readjusting her clothes, she goes back downstairs and a few minutes after that, Draco follows. They both slip back into the room seemingly unnoticed, that is, until Astoria sees him standing in the back.  
>"There you are darling! Where did the two of you disappear to?" She crosses the room, wrapping her arms around his torso and kissing him on the lips. Hermione looks away, crossing her arms over her chest. It isn't so much the kiss that bothers her as it is the way his arm curls around his wife's waist (and not hers). "Well?" she asks curiously.<br>For a moment Hermione looks as though she's about to panic as she tries to think of an excuse. Lucky for her, while everyone is looking at them, including her children, Draco is quicker on his feet.  
>"We were discussing something from work."<br>"Work? On Christmas Day?"  
>"It was important."<br>And while everyone goes back to what they were doing previously, his grey eyes meet her brown ones offering her guilt and sympathy.

X

She doesn't know how she became _that_ woman. The woman that sleeps with a married man. The woman that doesn't even think about the other woman in the equation.  
>The woman who is selfish enough to wish him away from his wife to be with her.<br>Time and time and time again she finds herself physically restraining from pouncing on him in the hallway at work, just to feel close to him-to someone. To anyone.  
>And time and time again she finds herself telling herself that that's all it is. That it's nothing more (and nothing less). She tells herself it's the <em>need<em> to just...feel, that keeps her coming back; that gives her those cravings and needs. It's the fact that she can't stand being alone anymore. She also tells herself that it's _his_ need to get away from his wife.  
>There is no emotion. There are no feelings. It's just sex and physical feelings and escaping and company.<p>

And even when he stops by her flat on Valentine's Day before going home to his wife, with a bouquet of her favorite flowers in one hand and a box of her favorite chocolate in the other, she still tells herself that it doesn't mean anything. And as he kisses her softly and carefully and tenderly (as opposed to roughly and hungrily and desperately) she finds it harder and harder to believe.

X

A few weeks later is when she recognizes their...arrangement for what it really is. A lie. A sham.  
>They're lying in her bed on a Wednesday afternoon, sweaty and sticky and smelling of sex and sweat that she realizes the truth.<br>"I'm a horrible person."  
>"What? No, you were great-"<br>"No, I mean in general you idiot," she snaps. "I'm a horrible person."  
>He rolls his eyes. "And how do you figure that, you war hero?"<br>"What kind of woman does this? What kind of woman carries out an affair with a married man and doesn't even feel bad about it? That's awful-I used to hate women like me! I-"  
>"Granger-"<br>"Merlin, I'm awful...and so are you for that matter! This is...this is wrong. So, so wrong on so many levels. You're married-"  
>"Hardly-"<br>"A"nd I'm-  
>He cuts her off, crushing his lips down on her as he rolls on top of her and settles between her thighs. She moans against his talented mouth, arching her back.<br>"You're a beautiful, somewhat single woman. That's what you are. Nothing else matters," he whispers.  
>She pushes on his chest softly and he groans, obliging grudgingly as he rolls onto his side onto the mattress. "You have a family Draco. You have a son and a wife and-your family is still intact."<br>"Let me tell you something Granger, and I want you to hear me. The only reason my family is still intact is because of the paperwork I signed when I got married. The only reason my marriage works is because we don't ask questions. Scorpius means the world to me and his mother means the world to him. If not for our son...Astoria and I would be strangers," he tells her seriously.  
>"Why haven't you left her then?"<br>"Because of Scorpius. I can't break his heart."  
>She nods, turning away from him. Perhaps she should've done what he's doing. Perhaps she should've stayed with Ron, if only for the sake of their children. Suddenly she feels extremely inadequate, and absolutely selfish. His arm slips around her waist, pulling her back against his chest tightly and burying his nose into her hair. He feels warm and comfortable and <em>right.<em> (How can something so wrong feel so right)?  
>"Stop thinking Granger. While I find it extremely sexy and an absolute turn on most of the time, now is not that time."<p>

X

Jealousy is not a feeling that Hermione Granger is familiar with. Nor is it a feeling that she particularly fancies either. Especially when she's in a room full of witches and wizards-including the Malfoy's (both generations)-and she's stuck watching all these couples prance around with their love and their laughter. What's worse, is watching Astoria-prim and proper Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy hang all over her husband. By all rights she shouldn't be jealous. After all, Draco isn't technically hers-well, he is, but only some of the time. And besides, their relationship-if you can call it that-is purely physical. Mostly physical. And that hardly gives her the right to be jealous, right?  
>And yet still, her throat closes every time <em>she<em> kisses him and her heart plummets into her stomach every time he kisses back. Her stomach does summersaults every time he takes _her_ hand and shows her off as his _wife_.  
>His <em>wife<em>.  
>The word makes her physically ill and she has to take five deep breaths to keep herself from vomiting all over the floor. And this, she thinks, is exactly why they should end this...relationship. Today. Right now. She catches his gaze from across the room and he tilts his head to the side slightly in the direction of an empty corridor, winking as if to say to follow him. She shakes her head, turning away from him. As if on cue a waiter passes with a tray of champagne glasses and she picks one up, thanking him as he continues on his way.<br>They're at yet another Ministry function.  
>She feels a light tap on her shoulder and when she turns around she's not all surprised to see grey eyes staring back at her through blond bangs. He smells of mint toothpaste and aftershave-how is it that he <em>always<em> smells this good?  
>"You're ignoring me."<br>"I'm not ignoring you, I'm just not sneaking off with you."  
>He smirks, reaching out to twirl a lock of her hair around his finger. She swats his hand away, glaring at him.<br>"We're in public, stop it," she scolds him.  
>"Then sneak away with me."<br>"No."  
>"I'll leave now, you leave in five minutes."<br>"Draco-" Before she can even protest he's making his way through the crowd, toward the very corridor he had pointed out just moments before. She tells herself she should go, she couldn't go, she wouldn't go. But even she knows she's going to go. And so when five minutes goes by, she too makes her way through the crowd towards the darkened corridor. It's so dark that she can hardly see so she reaches out and lets her hand graze the hard, cold stone wall as she makes her way slowly down the hallway-to where, she's not quite sure.  
>A cold, rough, familiar hand wraps around her elbow and pulls her across the hallway before her back against the wall. His body presses itself firmly against hers, his arms resting on the wall on both sides of her head, his forehead pressed against hers and his lingers ghosting over hers. His breath is warm and damn on her face. He towers over her and so she has to crane her neck to look at him. Her eyes, having adjusted to the darkness, searches his which are dark with lust and passion. "What are you doing?"<br>"I want you so bad Granger." The lust in his voice, all hoarse and sexy, makes her legs weak and the way he looks at her makes her want to melt. But the name he uses-her last name-is how they distance themselves, which never fails to remind her of their situation.  
>"W-we shouldn't…" she stutters.<br>"You sure about that? You don't sound very sure," he smirks.  
>"Malfoy we're in public. Anyone could see-"<br>"And that's why it's so exciting," he murmurs. He grins and even though she wants nothing more than to disappear with him in this very moment, she pushes him back softly.  
>"We can't Draco. This is...this is wrong. We can't be careless like this-hell we shouldn't be doing this at all!"<br>"Shhh-"  
>"See?" She whispers loudly. "We…we have to stop. I'm stopping this-right now."<br>"Granger wait."  
>She shakes her head, turning to walk away but his hand latches itself around her hand. She freezes, her back still turned to him as he laces his fingers in between hers. They've never held hands before. They've never even tried. His hand is significantly larger than her, rougher. And she loves it. She loves feeling his hands in her hair and on her body; her hands are no different.<br>"Hermione...don't go."  
>It isn't so much the tone of his voice-desperate and needy-as it is the fact that he uses her name. Her first name. And Merlin, she loves the way it sounds.<br>"I don't want this to stop. And I know you don't either," he whispers in her ear.  
>"Draco-"<br>"Don't make me beg, love."  
>She sighs, turning around to face him. His hand comes up to her face, his fingers curling around the back of her neck while his thumb caresses her cheek. "I'm going home now. I'll leave the wards down."<br>He grins. "I'll tell Astoria I have to swing by the office."

Even as she sits at home waiting for him, she knows it's wrong. She knows she should be stronger than that-in fact she knows she _is_. She just...can't say no to him. He makes her feel alive and wanted and beautiful and sexy. He makes her feel. He gives her life.  
>And life is what she craves the most.<p>

X

It's Spring Break when everything falls apart. Of course, she doesn't know it at the beginning when she picks her children up at the train station. The holiday is just five days long-the first two of which she'll get to spend with them before they stay with Ron. The last day will be spent with their friends. (Rose made it known loud and clear that she'd spend the last day with her friends and not her). And somehow, two days isn't long enough.  
>Draco swings by on the fourth day with ice cream and fire whiskey. She's upset over the fact that Rose can't stand the idea of spending time with her own mother and he takes it upon himself to make her feel better, for Scorpius is also acting out against his parents.<br>A couple hours after he arrives they wind up back in bed, doing what they do best. His release comes just seconds after hers and he collapses on top of her, panting as he struggles to catch his breath and buries his face in the crook of her neck. Her arms are pinned above her head, his fingers laced with hers. His body is heavy, but it's comforting and when he moves to roll off of her and pull out of her she brings her legs up and wraps them around his waist, holding him inside of her.  
>"Fuck Hermione…" he breathes into her skin.<br>"I just need you to stay," she pants.  
>"M'kay."<br>Moments later, after she finally allows him to move-he only rolls onto his side, props his right arm underneath his head and curls his left around her waist-she mirrors his position and faces him.  
>"That post-sex glow looks so fucking sexy on you Granger," he whispers, his voice hoarse and full of lust.<br>She blushes-truly blushes-as she tries to hide her face in the pillow.  
>"Hey, c'mon, don't do that," he chuckles. "Your beautiful, love."<br>"Shut up," she murmurs.  
>"You are," he insists sternly. "It's even more beautiful that you don't even realize how beautiful you really are. You underestimate yourself."<br>"No I don't-"  
>"Yes you do. No offense Granger, but this divorce of yours has fucked up more than just your family. It's ruined the way you see yourself. You don't realize how special you are. You...you used to be so free. So independent. I don't know why you're so scared to continue being like that," he says softly.<br>"I'm not-"  
>The look on his face shuts her up. Because he's right.<br>"You could do so much better Granger."  
>"How so?" she asks, as though she doesn't believe a word he's trying to say.<br>"Your job for one," he points out. "I know you hate it. You'd much rather quit and open your own bookstore than work for the ministry. You're just too afraid of failure. And what you fail to realize is that you're Hermione-Fucking-Granger. You can do anything."  
>She shakes her head, sighing softly. "Perhaps you put a little bit too much faith in me Draco."<br>"Yeah, well, someone has to."  
>She smiles softly, pushing him onto his back and climbing on top of him, straddling his waist. He grins, running his hands up her thighs as she leans down to kiss him. First on the mouth, then on the chin. She moves her lips to his ear and bites on his earlobe before trailing her lips down his neck and across his collarbones. And then lower, down his chest while her fingers brush over his nipples. He hisses in response, his left hand going into her hair. She continues to go lower, moving down his body until she's at eye level with his manhood. She looks up at him seductively-just the way he likes-before taking him in her hand and then quickly into her mouth. He growls low in his chest, burying his hand in her hair as she works his-Merlin she's got a mouth like a fucking goddess.<br>A voice-that doesn't sound at all like Draco, and eerily similar to the woman undoing him calls his name through the room.  
>"Mr. Malfoy?"<br>His eyes snap open, colliding with the terrified eyes of the woman at his hips as she scrambles to climb back up the bed to cover their naked bodies.  
>Rose Weasley has never looked or felt more horrified and disgusted in her entire life-a whole 14 years. "Mum..?" she squeaks, her voice weak and hesitant.<br>Hermione looks sheepish as she looks up at her daughter from across the room. Her cheeks are flushed from the embarrassing state the teenager has just caught her in and her voice-once she finds it-is shaky. "Rose, sweetie-"  
>"Oh my god. Oh...my...GOD, mum!" The teenager yells incredulously. "What...you...and Mr. Malfoy?"<br>"Rose I can explain-"  
>"No, I don't wanna hear it. I don't need to <em>hear<em> anything, I've _seen_ plenty. I don't need an explanation-"  
>"Rose-"<br>"All I came here for was my sweater and...I'm gonna throw up," the young redhead mutters, her right arm going around her stomach.  
>She doesn't know how she does it, but all of a sudden Hermione has her bathrobe wrapped around her as she crosses her bedroom towards her daughter. The red head shakes her head, tears shining in her eyes as she backs away. "Don't. Don't touch me," she grits out through her teeth, anger coursing through her Weasley veins.<br>"Rose-"  
>"You make me sick, mother. <em>Sick."<em>  
>Hermione frowns as Rose turns on her heel and starts to walk away. She's never seen her daughter so mad, so...utterly disgusted. And her tone of voice...makes the thirty-seven year old mother of two want to crawl into a hole and die. Despite that though, she follows Rose down the hallway, leaving Draco to his own devices in the bedroom. "Rose-"<br>"Leave me alone."  
>"Honey…" Hermione whispers desperately. She reaches for the teenager, her hand closing around the girls wrist to stop her. Just as quickly, however, Rose spins around and yanks her arm away before raising her wand with her other. Hermione gasps as she comes face to face with it.<br>"Don't touch me!"  
>"R-Rose-"<br>"What do you want from me?" the teenager screams.  
>Hermione takes a deep breath. "I want you to listen to me-"<br>Rose laughs, scoffing as she lowers her wand and puts it back in her pocket. "I'm so done listening to you. I mean, honestly mother, what the _fuck_ is wrong with you?"  
>Hermione is far too shocked by the question to tell her daughter to watch her language.<br>"You do realize he's a married man right?" she asks sarcastically. "Or are you just blatantly ignoring it? Better yet, do you even care? Have you thought, at all, about what this might do to his family? And what about ours, hmm? What about Hugo and dad? Oh, wait, you don't care do you? No, of course not, you walked out on us-"  
>"I didn't walk out on you. You're father and I agreed-"<br>"The only reason he agreed was because he knew there was no convincing you to stay! You broke his heart and then you broke ours! And now, you're going to break Mrs. Malfoy's and my best friends because all you care about is yourself," she spits.  
>"Now Rose, that's not fair," the mother of two says softly, weakly.<br>"Not fair? You're in no position to tell me what's not fair mother! You're shagging a married man! Do you have any idea what that makes you look like? Do you even care?"  
>"It's not like that.."<br>"Oh? Then what's it like?" the young Weasley crosses her arms over her chest stubbornly.  
>"I...I can't explain it-"<br>Rose snorts loudly. "Of course you can't because that's exactly what it's like, isn't it? You're _pathetic_."  
>"Rose-"<br>"And I don't even want to know what _he's_ thinking, you're both just...so messed up," she mumbles. She turns to leave, but then stops and turns back around to face her mother. "I wonder what dad would say if he found out what you've been doing-or should I say 'who'... Or what Astoria would do is she found out that the woman she spent Christmas with is shagging her husband. Were you sleeping with him at Christmas? How long has it been, mother?" she wonders tauntingly.  
>Hermione's eyes widen in fear and disbelief. Surely her only daughter wouldn't do that… "Rose, you can't-"<br>"And why can't I? I have nothing to lose, it's your reputation on the line, not mine. I can do whatever I want."  
>"Honey please-"<br>"I hope you're happy mum. No, really, I do. And I hope things work out in your favor because I would hate for you to lose everything if this ends badly."  
>Hermione is both too shocked and too upset to react as her daughter leaves, slamming the door behind her. She stares at the spot in which the young red head had just stood and a tear trickles down her cheek. On shaky legs, she walks back to her bedroom to find the man in question-the man who makes her feel alive and sane and wanted, the man who is now the reason why her daughter can't even look at her-staring at her. He's dressed now, in a pair of dark blue trousers and a black t-shirt, and his gaze holds a mixture of worry and sympathy. He crosses the room-probably when he sees her red, watery eyes-and he reaches out to wipe away a stray tear but she moves her face away from him.<br>"Hermione-"  
>"You have to go…"<br>"Want to talk about it?"  
>She shakes her head, wiping her own tears away as moves her entire body away from him "You have to go, Draco. Please," she whispers.<br>"Granger-"  
>"She's threatened to tell your wife. You should probably go home before Rose gets there first."<br>He pauses, staring at her back before continuing. "You don't honestly believe that she'll tell?  
>"I honestly don't know what I believe anymore. So please, just... Merlin, Draco, just go," the brunette pleads.<br>He nods, pursing his lips as he takes a few steps back and grabs his jacket off of the dresser before disapparating.  
>The sound of his disappearance reverberates in her eyes, bouncing off of her eardrums in sickening echoes. All that's all it takes for her to break down, curling up on the floor and sobbing uncontrollably for hours-like heartbroken teenager. Like a grown woman who doesn't even know who she is, or what she's doing anymore.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Part Three

* * *

><p>X<p>

It isn't until Saturday morning that she sees either of her children again, only to see them off at the train station as they head back to Hogwarts. Rose blatantly ignores her, but neither Hugo nor Ron treat her any differently and so she concludes that Rose mustn't have told them. The whistle blows and while Ron loads the last of Hugo's things onto the train, she kneels down and pulls him tight against her chest. "I love you so much kiddo."  
>"I love you too, mum."<br>Being the gentleman that he is, he kisses her forehead before running to catch up with his friends and climbing onto the train. She straightens herself out as Rose hugs and kisses her father. The angry teenager then turns to her mother, offering her a quick wave and a 'goodbye' before heading towards the train.  
>"Rose, wait!" To her surprise, Rose turns around, and Hermione doesn't have to follow her very far. She clears her throat awkwardly. "I...um...I want to thank you for not telling anyone-"<br>"I didn't do it for you. I did it because I didn't want to see that look on dads face. And the only reason I haven't told Scorpius is because he doesn't deserve to have his family ripped out from under him. So don't thank me," the teenager snaps.  
>"Rose...I'm sorry," her mother whispers, tears shining in her brown eyes.<br>Rose rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. And then a bitter smirk plays on her lips and she laughs sarcastically. "You have a visitor."  
>Hermione looks behind her to see Draco standing there, his hands pushed into his pockets as he stares back. When she turns back around Rose is gone, and so she sighs, spinning back and making her way through the crowded platform toward the blonde haired, grey-eyed man of her dreams. "Where's Astoria?"<br>"I told her to go ahead, that I had business to take care of."  
>Hermione nods awkwardly. "Um, you should know that Rose didn't say anything."<br>"Good. That's great," he replies, breathing a sigh of relief.  
>"Yeah but she didn't do it for me. She made it perfectly clear that she only did it for Ron, Hugo and Scorpius."<br>"She's protecting her family," he says simply.  
>"You know she can't even look at me-and it has nothing to do with the position I was in when she walked in. She hates me," Hermione whispers sadly, more convinced now than ever.<br>"She doesn't-"  
>"Stop it, stop denying it. You haven't seen the way she's been looking at me, the way she's been talking to me. It started after I left Ron and it's only gotten worse since she found us together. You don't know my daughter-"<br>"Okay, yeah, you're right. But I still-"  
>"I don't want to see you anymore," she whispers suddenly. She's been thinking about this for quite some time, so it isn't a surprise. She just hadn't meant for it to be like this. He watches her, silently. "I can't...see you anymore. I can't do this. I'm-we're...all we're doings hurting people. I've hurt my daughter, and I've destroyed her vision of me and for what? For my own selfishness?"<br>He doesn't say anything, only continues to watch her.  
>"You have a family. You have a wife who would never leave you and a son that worships the ground you walk on. If we continue this, you'll lose all of it. And take it from me, it's not worth it."<br>"Alright. I guess I'll see you around the office then," he responds casually.  
>She blinks. For some reason she was expecting more of a fight. "Yeah."<br>"Okay."  
>She smiles sadly. "Goodbye Draco."<p>

X

One week later she surprises everyone at the Ministry (everyone except Draco) with her resignation.  
>Two week after that she's the proud owner of her very own book store using the money she saved from the War and the money she's earned from the ministry. Rose is still ignoring all of her letters, unlike Hugo who knows nothing of what's going on between them. Ron is suspicious of course, but she refuses to tell him anything and to her knowledge, so does their daughter.<br>And for the first time in a really, really long time, she feels...content.

It's the 12th of April and she's closing up the shop when she hears the door open and close behind her.  
>"Oh, I'm sorry, but we're-" The words die in her throat as she turns around and comes face to face with the last person she wants to see (but also the only person). He smiles at her, shoving his hands into his pockets as he looks around the small space. "You did it. You've got your own shop," Draco says softly, looking around.<br>"Yeah. I figured it was about time I stopped...pretending."  
>"It's smaller than I imagined it would be," he admits.<br>"For now. I'm planning to go bigger, when the funds are available."  
>He nods, staring at her. She stares back. And they stand there in complete silence before he breaks it. "I'm proud of you Granger."<br>"Thank you. So am I."  
>Silence falls over them again and she turns back around to continue her filing. "So, what brings you here?" she asks as casually as she can.<br>"I miss you."  
>She freezes, her breath catching in her throat. Closing her eyes tightly, she shakes her head. "No, don't-<br>But it's too late, because his left hand is on her hip and his right is pushing her hair off of her back and over one shoulder. She can feel his breath on the back of her neck and it raises goose bumps all over her skin. "I do, I miss you," he whispers.  
>"Please stop," she murmurs. She squirms away from him but he's faster and stronger and he turns her around to face him, cupping her face in his hands. She keeps her eyes close, refusing to look at him even as he presses his lips against hers firmly, desperately. "I miss you so much baby-"<br>"-please, stop it-"  
>"-tell me you miss me-"<br>"-I can't-"  
>"-I know you do…"<br>She opens her eyes then and brown meets grey. Fear meets desperation. Desperation meets hope. "I miss you too," she whispers finally, unable to keep lying to him when he's looking at her like that.  
>He leans in to kiss her again but she moves her face to side and his lips connect with her temple.<br>"But it doesn't change anything."  
>"It changes everything."<br>"We can't, Draco. I...I'm happy-"  
>"You're not happy. You're content, yes, but you're not happy. I'm not happy-not anymore."<br>"Why are you doing this?"  
>"You know why I'm doing this. Ask me to stay Granger. Let me stay."<br>Before she can even stop herself, her arms wind around waist and she's kissing him while simultaneously pulling him into the back room by his collar.

X

One week, almost to the day, later her whole world crumbles as she stares at the very...private, very explicit picture covering the front page to the Dailey Prophet. The caption underneath it reads 'An Illicit Affair: the Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy Chronicles'. And underneath that, the article begins:

[The above picture is that of divorcee Hermione Granger, whose divorce from fellow War Hero Ronald Weasley was made official in September of last year, and married wizard Draco Malfoy in what appears to be the throngs of passion. Just forty-five minutes after this was taken, another was taken (see bottom left) of the Malfoy Heir leaving Granger's new book shop (The Library) in a hurry. As you, the readers, can see, his appearance is quite careless-notice the collar of his shirt is undone, the bottom of it is untucked and his hair holds no semblance of the way it looked when witnesses saw him entering just hours before...].

She scans the rest of the article, her shaky hand covering her mouth as she takes in the meaning of the words glaring back at her. She feels sick to her stomach by the time she reaches the end:

[Witnesses continue to come forward with rather puzzling memories and clues into the mystery of this affair. A few questions have been left unanswered as of late, such as: does Mrs. Malfoy know of her husband's adultery? And Mr. Weasley, does he know of his ex-wife's extracurricular activities? And what of the children? Between the lovers, they share three-two belonging to Granger, and one belonging to Malfoy.  
>Probably the most common question wondered is: just how long has this affair been going on?]<p>

She barely has a minute to put the paper down on the coffee table before her fireplace comes to life and Ron walks out of the green flames shouting profanities and angry slurs at her.

x

Being the cold, calm man that he is, Draco Malfoy places the paper onto the counter carefully. He looks up into the otherwise passive face of his wife, her arms crossed over her chest expectantly.  
>"Well?" she asks, looking at him expectantly.<br>He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What do you want me to say Astoria?"  
>"I want you to answer the question and I want you to tell me the truth. How long have you been shagging her?"<br>He scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Don't act like you don't already know. We both know you hired that private detective to follow me around and we both know that it was you who sent those pictures to the Prophet," he snaps, folding his arms across his chest now too.  
>"How long, Draco?"<br>"Eight months."  
>She slaps him then, and the sound of flesh hitting flesh snaps around the spacious kitchen. "You're a bastard."<br>"Please, Astoria, don't pretend to be heartbroken. It doesn't suit you. Besides, you have to have a heart for that."  
>"My heart isn't broken for me. It's broken because seeing as how you were too selfish and careless to keep it in your pants, you may have just broken your <em>sons<em> heart."  
>It's like someone punches him in the gut when she bring him up, and he dreads seeing the look on his kids face.<p>

X

Two days later, Hermione finds herself sitting on the edge of the bathtub, staring at a white stick in her hand. Waiting. And waiting. And waiting. She fought in a bloody war for Merlin's sake, how can waiting 60 seconds possibly feel like all eternity? She can just see the colour of the sign in the little white circle when she hears _his_ voice wafting through her flat. In a fit of panic, she jumps to her feet and hides the stick in the cupboard under the sink before rinsing her hands and nearly colliding with Draco's warm, solid body as she opens the door.  
>"Hey."<br>"Hi." She tucks her hair behind her ear as she steps around him and leads him back down the hall toward the living room-and as far from the bathroom as possible.  
>"I'm sorry it took me so long to see you, I had to talk to Scorpius...and my mother."<br>"It's okay, I had a lot of explaining to do as well," she replies.  
>"And? Is everything okay?" he asks, genuinely curious.<br>"Not even close. Let's just say that Rose isn't the only member of my family that hates me. Ginny insists that they don't, but…"  
>"And Hugo? What does he think?"<br>"I think he's just choosing to ignore it. What about Scorpius?"  
>"Honestly? He's more pissed off that I was so 'careless' about it than anything. He's always known about the lack of feelings Astoria and I have for one another anyhow," he admits.<br>"Speaking of Astoria…"  
>"She's pissed that at how 'carless' and 'selfish' I've been."<br>"Well she's right though. We've both been careless and selfish," she says honestly.  
>"Yeah, well…"<br>Silence falls over them as she sits down on the couch, pulling her knees towards her chest. "You know what we have to right?"  
>"Don't say it…" he begs softly.<br>"We have to."  
>"Why? Everyone knows, so what's the difference?"<br>"I...are you serious?" She looks at him incredulously, like he's lost his mind.  
>"Quite."<br>"You've already made it perfectly clear that you won't leave Astoria. I can't spend the rest of my life as your mistress Draco, I won't," she snaps.  
>"You're more than just a mistress, you know that." His voice is soft and truthful, and yet<br>"It doesn't change the facts. It doesn't change the fact that Astoria is your _wife_, and that I would be nothing more than the other woman," she retorts.  
>He goes to protest but she cuts him off.<br>"I went to work yesterday and hardly anyone would step inside. Most people-women especially-just glared at me as they walked by, like I was the devil incarnate. And the people that did come inside spent the whole time whispering about me like I wasn't even there. I may not be your 'mistress' in _your_ eyes, but I am in everyone elses. I'm the woman that every woman hates, including myself. I can't be that woman anymore. I can't be the woman that tears apart a marriage, however unstable said marriage is. I can't be the woman who comes between a child and his father. I know what it's like to lose touch with your kids even though they're within arm's reach, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone," she whispers.  
>"Okay...great. Wonderful," he mutters sarcastically, looking away.<br>"You saved me Draco," she says softly, ignoring the bitterness in his voice. "You gave me life when I needed it most and you showed me how to live when I'd forgotten. You were everything I needed and everything I never should've had. And now it's time to move on."  
>He nods, not trusting his voice, as he leans forward and kisses her one last time. It's sweet and caring and soft and oh-so-wonderful. He almost doesn't pull away, but when he does his eyes are closed. "Goodbye Hermione." Not 'good day' or 'good night', but this isn't one of those I'll-see-you-later farewells. This is one of those painful, I-wish-we-didn't-have-to farewells.<br>Hermione smiles softly, forcing back years and he leaves through the fireplace. Moments later, once she's absolutely positive that he won't be coming back, she pushes herself to her feet and disappears once more in the bathroom. She takes the stick out from underneath the sink and her stomach jumps into her throat when she sees the positive sign. Positive. _Plus sign_. She bursts into tears then, stepping into the bathtub before dropping to her knees as she holds her stomach.  
>She's now got a serious decision to make.<p>

X

It's nearing the end of July. It's also nearing the end of the first three months of her pregnancy. Yes, Hermione Granger is pregnant with her third child. Yes, she's decided to keep it-although she's kept it a secret thus far, from the public and her family using an advanced glamour charm to conceal the growing bump in her belly. And yes, she's also kept it from the father.  
>She almost got an abortion when she found out because she knew she wasn't ready. Because she knew that keeping it could be a mistake, could be dangerous. She's single, after all, and not in any position to have a child all on her own. But as she had held her wand to her stomach, the spell to abort it on the tip of her tongue, she'd panicked. She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill something so innocent. She couldn't kill something that was a part of her (and a part of him). She couldn't kill life, when life had been given to her.<br>It's like she's been given another chance. It's like a gift, given to her to help her through this...time in her life. Perhaps she's naive in thinking that-that a baby could save her. But the baby is now the only thing she has left. The baby is now the only piece of _him_ she has left.  
>For a woman in a position such as hers-divorced and pregnant at the age of 37, estranged from her daughter who still can't stand the sight of her, shunned by her family for the biggest (best) mistake she's ever made, and feeling utterly alone, she finds that she's quite content. Yes, Rose still hates her-for so many reasons it's hard to keep track. And yes, Ron hates her now too-ultimately for choosing 'a git like Malfoy' over him, despite the fact that their marriage was over before she even looked at Draco. And no, the rest of her family doesn't <em>hate<em> her, they just don't like her very much right now and so she gives them their space. Hugo seems to be the only one who can stomach her-perhaps because he's still mummy's little boy.  
>Nor has she spoken to, or even seen Draco-or his wife, or Scorpius (thank Merlin, because she couldn't handle that). And yet she still finds herself able to smile.<br>Today, however, is not one those days. Because today is one of those days where all she can think about is her kids and her mistakes. Because Rose hates her and Hugo is too caught between his love for his family and his love for his mother. Because she has no idea how she's going to raise this new baby, how she's going to explain it. Because she's afraid for the baby's future, afraid that people will hate him or her because of where she comes from and who his or her parents are.  
>Today is one of those days, at the end of July, when Hermione Granger has a nervous breakdown in the comfort (and loneliness) of her own home. She's sitting on the floor of the bathroom, sobbing with her back against the bathtub, having just been sick in the toilet. She's sobbing so much that she doesn't hear the front door open and close, or the tentative footsteps down the hallway. She doesn't hear them stop on the other side of the door, nor does she hear the bathroom door open. She does, however, hear her daughters soft, angelic voice.<br>"Mum?"  
>Hermione's head snaps up, her blurry gaze landing on the tall, lean teenager standing hesitantly in the doorway. She wipes her eyes and her cheeks furiously in a vain attempt to cover up the evidence of her crying, but her voice is thick with tears anyway. "Rose…" She watches her daughters eyes travel over her positively pathetic looking form before landing on her stomach. She watches those beautiful blue eyes widen in shock and confusion and she's rather surprised when the redhead doesn't dash out of the room. She's even more surprised when the teenager walks towards her, flushes the toilet and helps her to her feet.<br>"You should probably make yourself comfy. Do you want some tea? No, of course not, you can't-water? I'll get you some water," the teenager rambles.  
>"Rose-"<br>"Do you want anything to eat? Peanut butter? Pickles?" she suggests. She'd just finished watching a movie the other day about a woman dealing with pregnancy and hormones and cravings-peanut butter and pickles had been at the top of the wish list.  
>"Rose-"<br>"I can make you a sandwich-"  
>"Rose! I'm fine, honey. I don't need anything," the mother of now three insists, smiling softly at her daughter.<br>In the moments that it takes her to ramble on and on about water and peanut butter, they'd walked to the kitchen anyway. Rose nods, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other.  
>"Do <em>you<em> want anything?"  
>"No, I'm fine." Her blue eyes land on her mother's stomach again. "You...you're...how come you weren't like this at the train station?" she wonders aloud, remembering just last month when Hermione had showed up at King's Cross to welcome her kids home for the summer.<br>"I was barely showing then. And now that I am, I'm using a glamour charm," Hermione admits. It feels like a weight has been lifted, telling someone-especially Rose.  
>"So...no one knows?"<br>Hermione shakes her head.  
>"Like, nobody?"<br>"Just you."  
>"W-why?" the redhead asks in confusion and curiousity. Shouldn't pregnant women be glowing and excited and happy?<br>"Because I want to have a plan first."  
>"You don't have a plan?"<br>Hermione shakes her head, watching her daughter nod absentmindedly and sit down at the island in the middle of the kitchen.  
>Rose lingers in the middle of the room, unable to sit down for she's feeling far too uncomfortable. "H-how far along are you?"<br>"About three months"  
>"So...so it's definately Mr. Malfoy's then…"<br>"Yes.  
>"Is that why you don't have a plan? Because he doesn't know?" Rose wonders softly.<br>"Partially. It's...it's complicated, Rose," Hermione admits, looking down at her hands in her lap. Oddly enough she sort of feels like a teenager explaining to her parents that her boyfriend has knocked her up.  
>"I'll say…"<br>An awkward silence falls over them, and yet Hermione would rather endure this than nothing at all.  
>"Is that why you were crying?"<br>"That's part of the reason, yes…"  
>"Why else?"<br>Hermione looks up into the eyes of her worrisome looking daughter. She blinks, taken aback by the emotion in the young woman's eyes. "Because I miss you, Rose," she admits. "And I love you so much, and I'm so sorry that I've hurt you. And I'm sorry that I've hurt Hugo and your father. And Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. And grandma and granddad. And Scorpius, and Astoria. You were right, Rose. I was a mess. And now I've taken everyone down with me."  
>Rose stares at her, tears shining in her eyes. For a moment, Hermione thinks that she might start crying. But in true Weasley-Granger fashion, she shakes it off and clears her throat. She looks away then, changing the subject slightly. "So, um, do you know the gender?"<br>"Not yet, no."  
>"But you've seen a doctor, right?"<br>"Yes, oh goodness, yes. I went to a Muggle doctor last month to make sure everything was okay."  
>"Do you want to know the gender?"<br>"I'm not sure…" Silence falls over them and Rose uses it to grab herself a glass from the cupboard and fill it with water. She turns back to her mother, leaning against the counter. "You're going to have to tell him you know? I mean, obviously you'll have to tell everyone, but you'll definately have to face Mr. Malfoy."  
>"I know…" Hermione sighs.<br>"Because he deserves to know."  
>"I know he does, it's just... I'm not ready yet," she admits.<br>"You...you're in love with him, aren't you?"  
>"...yes..." the brunette whispers, admitting aloud for the first time her true feelings for the Malfoy.<br>"Scorpius says he cares about you, you know. He thinks he's in love with you…" the redhead says softly.  
>For a moment, Hermione is shocked to learn that Rose and Scorpius have been talking about them. But then, so has everybody else it seems. She closes her eyes, her daughters words echoing in her ears. "Please don't say that, Rose... I...we ended it on a good note after that article-"<br>"The first of 7…" the teenager mutters.  
>"And I haven't even seen him since."<br>"You still have to tell him."  
>"I know." Hermione looks down at her hands on the table. Rose surprises her when she sits back down in the across from her and reaches across the table and holds her hand. "I love you mum. And I know I haven't told you that in a long time, but it's true. So I'll keep you're secret, but just as long as you promise to tell everyone the truth. No matter what the consequences are," she whispers, smiling weakly. "Give me a reason to look up to you again."<br>Hermione smiles back, tears of happiness shining in her brown eyes. "I promise." Rose wonders if she should be angry. She wonders if she should be bitter and upset that her mother is having another baby, starting another family. But then, in a sense, she kind of is. In fact she _still_ is angry at her for giving up. But something about the way her mother looks at her-something about the way her mother looks in general-makes her soften a bit. Hermione Granger is, after all, human. And humans make mistakes sometimes. Oddly enough, however, she doesn't think that this constitutes as a mistake. In fact she thinks that maybe this is exactly what her mother needs.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I think I should probably mention that I don't condone adultry, however the fact remains that this is a story. I'm glad, though, that everybody seems to feel as though I've depicted the characters' thoughts and feelings so well, and that they're believeable. Especially considering I was sort of worried that I wouldn't. So thank you :)

This is the last part in the story, and I sincerely hope that it does the rest of story justice.

* * *

><p>He sees her through the window of The Library four days later. It's closing time and she's walking up and down the aisles to make sure that all the books are in their right places. She's wearing a bright yellow sundress, the colour looking beautiful against her tanned skin and brown hair. Merlin, she looks beautiful. <em>Glowing<em>.  
>This is the fifth time this week he's come here, watching her through the window and never entering. Her routine is always the same and today is no different. That is, until she stops behind her desk, pulls her wand out of her purse and points it at her stomach. He squints, trying to look closer-what is she doing? He sees her lips move, muttering a spell he can't put his finger on, and then watches in awe and confusion as her stomach grows. She turns to the side, rubbing her left hand over her now swollen belly while grabbing her purse with her right hand. Is she...she can't be..?<br>All of a sudden he's acting on impulse, pushing the door open before he even has a chance to think his intentions through.

She panics when she hears the door open and close, turning so that her back is to the door and scrambling for her wand. The voice of the visitor makes her whole body freeze.  
>"Don't bother, I've already seen it."<br>Her breath catches in her throat and her stomach flips. He knows. He _knows_. She turns around to face him (seeing him for the first time in weeks) and he looks...angry. Hurt. Betrayed. More than that though, he looks sort of…wounded. Maybe even devastated. "Draco…" she whispers.  
>"you...are you..?" he stutters, unable to finish as he stares at the bump.<br>"Yes."  
>"And is it...I mean, it's mine right?" His voice is shaking with anger and weak with everything else. It pulls at her heart strings and guilt washes over her.<br>"She," Hermione murmurs.  
>His eyebrows stitch together in confusion. "What?"<br>"_She's_ yours, yes. You have a daughter." Her own voice breaks near the end, thick with tears and guilt.  
>He feels as though someone's punched him in the gut-probably looks it too, as he holds onto the nearest bookcase with his left hand and bends over slightly to catch his breath. A daughter. A girl.<br>"I found out this morning," she admits.  
>"And...uh, how far along are you?"<br>"Three months."  
>"Three? Three months?" He's showing his anger now, his eyes flashing and his face reddening, the muscles in his jaw tightening as well as his fists. "You're three months, and I'm only finding this out <em>now<em>?"  
>"Draco-"<br>"I-you kept this from me Hermione! You-"  
>"Draco, please let me explain-"<br>"You were pregnant in April," he says as realization washes over him when he does the math. "Did you know? The day you brought this to an end, did you know?" he asks, moving his finger between the two of them.  
>"Yes, but-"<br>"But?" He almost laughs in her face. "But what? You didn't think I deserved to know?"  
>"What-no! I was going to tell you," she insists.<br>"When? When you were in labour and you needed someone to blame? When she turned 18? When the fuck were you going to tell me?" he yells angrily. And desperately.  
>"I didn't know what I was doing!" she screams back, before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "I didn't know...I didn't even know if I was going to keep it-"<br>"You don't think me being the father constitutes having a say?" he spits bitterly, glaring at her from across the room.  
>"I already know what you would've said. I needed time to figure it out on my own. And I knew if I told you, it would've ruined your family even further and I couldn't do that. I was waiting for the right time…" she whispers.<br>"Whatever the reason, you should've told me Granger," he mutters, looking hurt and disappointed. "I would've…"  
>"You would've left Astoria."<br>"Yes."  
>She smiles sadly, shaking her head as she walks around the desk and then sits on top of it. "I didn't want that to be the reason you left her," she admits softly.<br>He squints in confusion, staring at her. "What do you mean?"  
>"I wanted you to leave her because you wanted to. Because you wanted me. Not because you felt like you had to."<br>"I _would've_ left her because I wanted to. Because I wanted you. You seem to forget that _you_ told me to go home," he accuses, the anger coming back. "You're the one-"  
>"I wanted you to fight for me! I wanted to stay even though I told you not to! I wanted you fight for us!" she yells, tears of frustration shining in her eyes.<br>"And I wanted you to give me a reason to! I couldn't leave my family without knowing how you felt in the matter, I had a son to think about," he spits, seething with anger.  
>Silence falls over them. He shoves his hands into his pockets and stares at the ground. She watches him with baited breath, unsure of how to react or what to say. He clears his throat and looks up at her finally.<br>"I left her anyway. Last week," he whispers.  
>"Y-you did? Why?"<br>"It wasn't fair to Astoria continue living a lie. Wasn't fair to Scorpius either."  
>"How does he feel about that?" she wonders.<br>"He, believe it not, encouraged me to do it."  
>It's her turn to look utterly confused now as she watches him lean against a book case, resting the back of his head on it. "H-how?"<br>He sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was drunk, two weeks ago. Out of my mind. He found me in the living room at 4 o'clock in the morning and I told him...I told him I missed you," he pauses, looking up at her with soft, loving, guilty eyes. "I talked to him for probably half an hour about how much I missed a woman that wasn't his mother. He told me that I wasn't doing or proving anything other than stupidity by staying with Astoria. So last week I left and moved into the country cottage. Nobody aside from her parents, my parents and Scorpius knows-they want to wait until the paperwork is filed officially."  
>"So...so that's it?"<br>"That's it.. I may not have chosen you when you wanted me to Granger, but I've still chosen you."  
>Only now, as they're face to face, does she realize that during his speech he'd made his way across the room and closed the gap between them. He brings his hand to her cheeks, cupping her face and bringing his forehead down on hers.<br>"I always will," he whispers.  
>She stares at him silently, letting his words mull over in her head. He left his wife for her. For her.<br>"I want to be a part of your life Granger. I want to be a part of my daughter's life," he murmurs, pausing as he enjoys the sound of 'my daughter' on his own lips. "The quaffle is in your hands, the move is yours to make." When she doesn't respond-only stares-he turns to walk away. "Another day then-"

"Wait!"She reaches for him, grabbing one of his arms with both of hers to stop him. He shivers at her touch-and it's the best damn feeling in the world. Aside from learning of his daughter. He turns back around and her eyes are shining with unshed tears, pleading. "I...I don't know where this is going or what we're supposed to do now. But just…can you stay? Just...hold me," she pleads.  
>He smiles softly, doing as he's told. His wraps his arms around her waist as she wraps hers around his his and buries her face in his chest. This is home now, he thinks. She is home. And everything else can wait.<p>

X

Telling her family with Draco by her side wasn't nearly as hard as she thought it would be. And the fact that Rose already knows also makes it that much easier. It seems that news of a pregnancy, no matter what the circumstances are, brings people together. She had told everyone at the burrow, while Draco stood behind her with his hand clasped in her own. They hadn't been thrilled about said circumstances, but they were still happy for them. But mostly just for her. They spent the whole afternoon talking before going to Malfoy Manor to tell his parents, Astoria and Scorpius.  
>Now, hours later, finds Hermione and Draco lying in her bed with the covers pulled over their heads. She's lying on her back, her shirt pulled up to reveal her growing belly and her legs intertwined with his. He's lying on his side, his right elbow propping him up as he rubs his left hand over her stomach. Rubbing circles and tracing patterns. Mesmerized by the idea of a human being growing inside of her. <em>His<em> human being.  
>"That was much easier than I thought it would be," he admits.<br>"Yeah, I didn't get yelled at by my family," she retorts.  
>"And I didn't punched, hexed or cursed by either family."<br>She giggles making to throw her head back dramatically and he captures her lips in his. She wraps her arm around his neck, playing with the hair on the back of his head.  
>"Move in with me," he requests suddenly.<br>Her eyes snap open in shock and she pulls back to look at him properly. "W-what?" she stutters.  
>He clears his throat, shifting his position on the bed. Suddenly he's not so confident. "Move in with me..."<br>"I...I-" she hesitates, biting her lip.  
>"I mean, look...we already practically live together. And we're having a baby...starting a family of our own. Moving in is just-the next step. I've got the country cottage all to myself-and Scorpius when it's my week. It's big enough for all four of us," he tells her.<br>"Don't you think that's moving...fast?" she asks softly.  
>He smirks. "We've got a baby on the way Granger, I don't think we could move any faster than that."<br>"I'm serious Draco." She pushes him away gently so as to not hurt his feelings, but the look on his face as she sits up and turns to look at him tells him they're hurt anyway. She kneels on the bed facing him, her fingers reaching out to play with a loose thread on the hem of his shirt. "We...we made this mistake before-both of us, with Ronald and Astoria. I rushed things with Ron and you were forced and then everything fell apart-"  
>"You think we're a mistake?"<br>"No!" she replies quickly, immediately regretting trying to compare their relationship with each of their previous relationships. She feels especially guilty when she notices the hurt in his soft, grey eyes. "No, not us. I just thinking that moving this quickly might be. I don't want what happened between me and Ron to happen to you and me."  
>"It won't."<br>"You don't know that, Draco."  
>"I know what I want Hermione. I want a life with you. I want to raise our daughter together. And I don't know if you know this, but when a Malfoy loves someone, it's forever."<br>She smiles softly, scooting closer to him. "Are you saying what I think you're saying Mr. Malfoy?"  
>He grins, slipping his arm around her hips and pulling her against him gently. <em>Lovingly<em>. He pushes her hair out of her face and tucks it behind her ears. "Yes. Move in with me," he pleads.  
>"This is crazy, Draco. We're crazy."<br>"Is that a yes?"  
>"Yes," she giggles as he smothers her with kisses.<p>

X

It's a Tuesday, two weeks after Hermione and Draco move into the cottage, when Astoria Malfoy-Greengrass walks into The Library. She's all glitz and glamour, with five inch heels, expensive robes, and perfect hair. She walks like she owns the place, trailing her finger over the surface of a bookcase-probably expecting to find it coated in dust, but little does she know that Hermione is an absolute neat freak.  
>Hermione watches her as she looks up and down the aisles, inspecting the shop like a vulture. "Can I help you with something?" she asks politely.<br>"Me? No, I'm just looking."  
>The shop owner continues to watch the other woman, not trusting her intentions for a second.<br>"It's cute. Very...homey," the glamour-witch says casually.  
>"Thank you."<br>"I bet Draco likes it."  
>Hermione freezes. "Yes, I suppose."<br>Astoria smiles flakily as she turns towards the brunette and closes the gap, the only thing in the way being the desk. "Okay here's the thing Hermione-can I call you Hermione?"  
>"Y-yes," Hermione stutters, scolding herself inwardly for sounding so…nervous.<br>"I didn't come here for a book, although you've got more than I thought you'd have. I'm actually here to warn you about my husband-I'm sorry, my _ex-husband_."  
>Hermione smiles tight-lipped; the woman's voice is far too malicious and the look in her dark blue eyes is far too mischievous to be considered kind. "To warn me..?"<br>The other woman nods. "Draco can be…manipulative, when he wants to be. Malicious. Vindictive. Cold-hearted. When he wants something, he gets it. Take you, for example. He saw you, he wanted you, he got you. And now he's got a brand new baby on the way and an all new life ahead of him. Everything sound perfect, right?"  
>Hermione nods, not trusting herself to speak and be <em>kind<em>.  
>Astoria's lips turn into an evil sort of smile. "Wrong. See, in a couple of years-maybe even months-the novelty will wear off and he'll get bored. And then he'll start looking for something bigger and better and shinier than you and the life you have to offer him. That's just the way he is."<br>Hermione shakes her head absentmindedly. "Look, Astoria, I appreciate your concern for my relationship, I really do," she replies as politely as possible. "But you forget that I've known Draco since I was 11 years old. I know exactly the type of behavior he's capable of and that is how I know that he's changed. And as far as the 'novelty wearing off' goes, I'm not so sure. I gave him an out-twice. I told him to stay with you, to be with you. I basically told him that I wanted nothing to do with him and he still chose me. I think that means a little bit more than just novelty."  
>For a whole two minutes Astoria looks as though she's about to explode-or implode. But then just as quickly, she composes herself and plasters a smile on her face. "Alright, well don't say I didn't warn you then. Have a good day <em>Hermione<em>."  
>As if on cue, the man in questions enters the shop, his smile fading as he comes face to face with his ex-wife. "What are you doing here?"<br>"I was looking for a novel, but Hermione here doesn't have it in stock. Right?" Astoria replies innocently.  
>"Yes, absolutely. I'll order in some more."<br>"Thank you, that's awfully kind of you. Anyway, I have some more errands to run. You two take care."  
>"Uh-wait.. I'm picking Scorpius up from Tyler Zabini's for a Quidditch game. Is it alright if he spends the night with us?" Draco asks her hopefully.<br>"Sure." It's like Astoria couldn't leave the shop fast enough, practically throwing herself out of the building.

Draco turns to face Hermione. "Well I didn't believe that story for a minute. What did she want?" he asks curiously.  
>"Nothing, just to talk," Hermione replies casually, waving it off.<br>"What'd she say?"  
>"Nothing important," she insists, turning away from him.<br>"Granger…" he presses.  
>"She just…" she trails off, sighing loudly. "She said that in a couple of years, once the novelty ware off, you'll leave me like you left her."<br>"That's not true, you know that right?" he asks her seriously, rubbing her arms up and down.  
>"Of course I do," she smiles.<br>"Good. Now which way did she go? I'm gonna have to have a talk with her-"  
>"Draco no! She can't find out I told you."<br>"Why not?"  
>"Because...look, she's a woman scorned," she explains. "She blames me-rightfully so-for her marriage failing. She blames me for you leaving. She's just...desperate. You can't blame her for that."<br>"Still, she's got no right-"  
>"Look I'm fine okay. Perfectly fine. I know the truth, you know the truth, and that's all that matters."<br>He sighs, "Okay."  
>She grins, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. "Now, I'm starving. So, about that lunch you were going to buy me-"<br>"Oh, of course. You don't care to see me because I'm your boyfriend. No, you just want me to feed you," he teases, feigning hurt feelings.  
>She giggles as he continues to tease her mercilessly, pulling her out of the shop for their lunch date.<p>

X

"Mum?"  
>Hermione looks up from her book and into the hesitant blue eyes of her oldest daughter. The now fourteen year old is spending the last weekend of the summer with her and Draco at the cottage. Hugo and Scorpius are also staying here, giving them a full house and hardly any time to themselves. And yet she wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Draco has taken the boys out into the yard for some extra flying lessons after dinner. Rose had gone outside with them to watch and Hermione, feeling tired and hot, had stayed inside and curled up with her current read. "Is something wrong Rose?" She looks worried by the hesitancy in her daughters eyes and the shakiness in her voice.<br>"No, I mean, not exactly. I just...can I ask you something?"  
>"Of course! You can talk to me about anything, you know that," Hermione tells her softly. Over the last few weeks, their relationship had been mended to the point where Rose finally feels comfortable talking to her mother. She closes the book and leans forward carefully to place it on the coffee table. "What's up sweetie?"<br>Rose sighs dramatically, sitting on the couch beside her. "I just...I really like Scorpius, mum. Like _really_ like him. We've been best friends since first year, but now I think...I think that my feelings are changing and I don't know what do about them," she admits.  
>"You have romantic feelings for him?"<br>The teenager nods slowly, blushing as she suddenly becomes increasingly interested in her hands sitting in her lap. "It's just that...now that you and Mr. Malfoy are together and having a new baby, that makes us step-siblings, r-right? So, I mean, that's wrong. Right? Because we're related now and-"  
>"Rose, honey relax," Hermione coaxes.<br>"Mum I don't know what to do!"  
>Tears are glistening in her daughters eyes and Hermione wants nothing more than to wish them all away. "Okay, well, first thing's first. You and Scorpius aren't technically related."<br>"But-"  
>"No, listen to me. You share a sibling but that doesn't mean you're related. I mean, by association, sure. And the baby is related to the both of you by blood, but you and Scorpius aren't," Hermione insists.<br>"But it's still weird isn't it?" Rose wonders. "Imagine what people will say mother, if Scorpius and I became an item."  
>Hermione smiles softly, taking her hands in both of hers. "Do you want to know what I've learned over the last year Rose? I've learned that caring about what people think only gives them the power to hurt you. The only person whose thoughts should matter is your own. Because when push comes to shove, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks just as long as you're happy."<br>Rose smiles back, obviously understanding what her mother is trying to say. "And are you? Happy, I mean?"  
>Hermione smiles, taking a moment to take in her surroundings. She glances around the large, humble living room before looking out the window at the three males now playing catch with a small quaffle Draco bought Hugo just a few days ago. Her smile widens as she looks once more at her beautiful daughter. "I'm extremely happy."<br>And for the first time in a long, long time Hermione can say that without guilt.

x

Later than night, Draco walks into the master bedroom to find Hermione sitting in bed with her back against the headboard. Her tank top is pulled up over her swollen belly and her hand is rubbing small circles over it, a small smile playing on her pink lips. She's positively glowing; he can't even remember a time when she looked so...happy. He smiles to himself, walking across the room and climbing carefully onto the bed. He lies on his side on the bed beside her, holding himself up with his right arm and extending his left hand out to do the same, rubbing small circles across her skin. He leans in, pressing his lips to her and whispering a soft 'hi there' to her stomach before looking up at her and stretching to meet her lips in a sweet and sensual kiss. "Hi…" he murmurs into her mouth.  
>"Hi," she giggles.<br>"How was your day?"  
>"Wonderful. How was yours?"<br>"Brilliant," he grins, pulling back slightly. "That son of yours has one hell of an arm on him. He'd probably make a great chaser for Gryffindor-might even help those lions to achieve the house cup. That is, unless Scorpius beats them to the snitch."  
>She giggles, swatting him playfully on the shoulder. "I'm glad you get along with him. And Rose."<br>"Me too. I'm glad _you_ get along with Rose."  
>"It's taken some time, but I think she finally understands. In fact, she talked to me about boys today," she smiles, more to herself than anything.<br>"Did she? That's a milestone."  
>"I know."<br>"What about boys?"  
>"Scorpius…"<br>He pauses his circle-rubbing for a moment, to look at her before smirking and continuing on. "Funny. Scorpius talked to me about Rose today."  
>"What'd he say?" she asks curiously.<br>"You first," he grins.  
>"She said she's beginning to get romantic feelings for him. Which means that Ron was right, she most definately fancies him."<br>"Hmm."  
>"You're turn," she says softly.<br>"He told me the same thing. He fancies the trousers off of her."  
>"Yes, well, I expect that you told him to keep himself out of her trousers," she tells him sternly. "I know how you Malfoy's think," she teases.<br>"Of course I did, they're much too young," he scoffs. "Although, if things today are anything like they were back in the day, well then-"  
>"Shut up! I'd rather not...go there, just yet," she whines, closing her eyes and blocking her ears playfully.<br>"It's going to happen eventually-"  
>"And until then we're not talking about it. Unless, of course, you want to bring the baby into it-"<br>"No, no way! Let's not talk about it," he replies quickly, refusing to even think about it.  
>A comfortable silence falls between them in which the only sound heard is the rustling of Italian sheets as she lays down comfortably in his arms.<br>"She wanted to know if it would be weird-should her and Scorpius become an item. She's afraid of what people might think," she murmurs.  
>"Did you tell her not to worry about it?"<br>"Of course. It's just...I kind of worry about it too," she admits.  
>"Why? It's not like they're related, really," he points out reasonably.<br>"Well, I know, it's just...you know what people will think don't you? I just don't her to get her feelings hurt or her dreams crushed. I don't want either of them to get hurt."  
>"We can't baby them forever Hermione," he whispers, kissing the top of her head affectionately.<br>"I know.. I just worry-"  
>"Don't worry. Because it doesn't matter. Stranger things have happened, love."<br>"I know, but-"  
>"Please, Hermione, don't stress yourself out over this. Please? I've never known you to care what anybody else thinks, don't start now," he pleads.<p>

X

He knows she doesn't need grand romantic gestures and yelling from the rooftops (however much he would like to give that to her). He also knows that she doesn't want glitz and glamour the way a certain ex-wife of his did. Nor does she need him to give her the world (although he'll never stop trying).  
>What Hermione Granger needs more than anything, he's learned, is just to <em>know<em> that she's loved. That she's needed and wanted and cherished. What she needs more than that, is to _feel_ it.  
>And so when he proposes, he doesn't go all out like he would like to. He doesn't buy a giant diamond ring; he settles for a smaller one, one that's more <em>her<em> instead of him. He doesn't plan an expensive dinner at a 5 star restaurant where hundreds of on-lookers would witness him getting down on one knee and making her his; instead he keeps it a private, intimate affair with just him and her and the baby growing inside of her who kicks with approval. He doesn't shout it from the rooftops, that she's his and only his, like he'd like to (like he almost does anyway); instead he settles for whispering in her ear that she's just made him the happiest man on the planet.  
>If he had had it his way, he would've gone all out for the proposal but he doesn't. Because it isn't about him. It's about her. It's about her and the smile that graces her lips and the tears of joy that shine in her beautiful brown eyes and the fact that she's so overjoyed and astonished that she can't even bring herself to say yes. It's the way she drops to her knees in front of him and kisses him and holds him and cries because she's so, so happy-that makes him glad that he settled for going small.<p>

X

Oddly enough, being in labour doesn't get any easier the third time around. At all. In fact it somehow seems harder.  
>Her water breaks December 21st at 6:04 in the morning.<br>Draco begins to panic at 6:06, pacing around the room like a lunatic. (He wasn't around when Astoria went into labour, he'd arrived at the hospital during the delivery).  
>They arrive at St. Mungo's at 6:15.<br>At 6:18 she's admitted to a hospital bed.  
>At 6:20 Draco Malfoy-strong, witty, calculating-is still panicking.<br>By 6:50 Hermione is screaming due to the excruciating pain from her contractions, squeezing Draco's hand so hard that his skin goes white and his muscles become numb.  
>At 7:03 the doors to her hospital room swing open and her parents walk in, followed by Harry and Ginny. (Draco's never been more glad to see Potter in his life).<br>By 7:25 most of her family is here including Ron, Rose and Hugo.  
>By 10:17 her contractions are close enough together to begin the delivery and everyone except for Draco is ushered out of the room. He holds her hand the whole time, whispering words of encouragement and love in her ear, stroking her matted hair while she pushes and pushes and pushes. And even as she screams at him and hits him in the arm and blames him for causing her such pain, he continues to encourage her. His own pulse is racing, his heart beating wildly in his chest and his palms are sweating-and he doesn't even want to imagine the kind of pain she's in.<p>

Sophia Phoenix Malfoy comes into world, making her presence known loud and clear as she wails at the top of her tiny little lungs, at exactly 10:31 in the morning. Plenty of things happen in the following few minute. Hermione is the first to hold fragile little baby in her arms; she's glowing and crying and happy all at the same time, while Draco counts her fingers and her toes. He holds her afterwards, holding the infant close to his chest and above his heart. Her parents and his parents, followed by Rose, Hugo and Scorpius are the following people to see the youngest Malfoy. A number of the Weasley's are next, including Ron who seems genuinely happy for them.  
>Hours later, once the Healers had ushered everyone except for Draco out of the room, they're left in private. Hermione, feeling exhausted and uncomfortable, lies back on the bed while Draco walks slowly around the room. He's holding Sophie in his arms, bouncing up and down softly and the motion seems to sooth her. And he's humming-singing softly. His voice has always calmed her.<br>She watches him from the hospital bed-the way he holds her and looks at her and smiles at her. The way his arms are delicate and at the same time protective around her little body. The way his eyes sparkle and water at the same time because she's his pride and his joy. The way his lips twitch and then pull back into smile after smile. She smiles, tears glistening in her own eyes as she recognizes the signs of pure bliss.  
>She's never known him or seen him happier than he is when he looks at his daughter. And she's never felt happier than in this moment, watching him and knowing that her life is once again looking better and brighter and that she's finally on the right track.<br>She still has her old family with the Weasley's and two older children. Rose is talking to her again and the animosity between them has finally melted away. Hugo is ecstatic about having a little sister.  
>Yes, Hermione decides from her hospital bed as she watches her future husband sway around the room as though nobody is watching, things are finally looking up.<p>

Fin

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><p>AN: Once again I just want to thank you all for your kind words and support. It means alot to an authorwriter to know that people appreciate their work, whether they get reviews or have their stories 'favourited' or 'alerted' or whatever the case may be.


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